Embracing New Beginnings
by NCISfan2020
Summary: Jack and Gibbs are forced to embrace changes in their perfect bubble that they had been living in. Thank you to Patti Lipscomb for the amazing suggestion. Established #Slibbs
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

They had been dating for about six months now. During these six months they decided to keep it a secret from their team. They had allowed only three people to know about their relationship. Those three individuals were Elaine from the diner, Ducky, and Leon Vance. They intended to keep it that way for as long as they could. They were both very private people, and they both enjoyed that. It wasn't that they didn't trust the rest of their team, it was just that everything would be different once the team knew, and they were enjoying just how things were now. The longer they could keep their quiet bliss to themselves and the few who knew, the better.

Things were going perfect. Jack had basically moved in with Gibbs. She only kept her apartment to draw suspicion away from anything. The sex was GREAT to say the least. They had even settled into a nice little routine. They couldn't be happier, but then, things began to change. Suddenly, something seemed to be off about Jack. At the flip of a switch, Jack had suddenly become more tense and sensitive to little things. Gibbs had no clue where this came from, but he could sense that something was up. A couple weeks into this, he noticed another change in Jack. She was getting sick, every day for a week he witnessed this before he finally decided to confront her about it. He was very worried and needed to know if something was seriously wrong.

"Jack, what's going on with you? Are you sick?"

"I don't know. I don't know what is wrong with me Gibbs. I haven't felt like myself for three weeks now, but I—I'm scared. I don't think I am ready to know what is going on because I don't want to face the fact that there could be something wrong. Life just got perfect for me. I'm not ready to let that go…" she began to sob, bent over on the couch with her face in her hands. He hadn't seen her this vulnerable in a while, and he wished he had never had to see her this way again. It seriously broke his heart to see her in this much pain.

"Shh… You're not going to lose this. I'm not going to let you lose this ever, but we can't fix this until we know what is going on okay? Let's just get you into the doctor to get some tests run so we can get some answers. I'm not going to leave your side through whatever may come. I've got you," he said all of this while pulling her into his chest. He put one of his hands on the side of her head, and he ran his thumb across her cheek to try and calm her. As a tear fell down her cheek he gently brushed it away. He was trying his hardest not to give in and cry too. He then gently pulled her towards him and gave her a passionate kiss. It was one that expressed every feeling he had ever had for her at once. He didn't have any more words to truly express how deeply he cared about her, and so he simply showed her.

There is something about heartbreak that adds passion to love. Following their conversation, they had some of the most passionate love-making as they had had since the beginning of their relationship. In his actions he was providing Jack with as much support as she could ever need. He was there to remind her that she would never be alone and that he would never leave her side. As they came down from their moments she began to sob once more. It was beautiful and horrible all at once. He had nothing that he could do except pull into himself and be present. That was all she needed.

The next morning, Jack woke up still in his arms. She was not very used to this because he was always much earlier of a riser than she was, but she could tell that he didn't want to leave her side. She knew that he was scared too, but he didn't want to show it to protect her. Just the little ways that he expressed his deep care for her sent her into deeper and deeper love with this man. He sensed that she was finally awake, and he kissed the top of her head to let her know that he was too.

"Good morning," he said gently.

"Morning," she responded with a sad smile. A single tear fell down her cheek. He kissed it away.

"What time's your appointment?"

"Seven."

"Want to grab some breakfast at the diner before we head in?"

"That would be perfect," she replied while giving him a small peck before getting out of bed to get ready for the day. He watched her get ready with complete adoration. There was something so perfect about how simple her routine was. He had been with plenty of high-maintenance women, and this one was definitely not one of them. He finally crawled out of bed and slipped into his clothes and combed his hair.

They arrived at the diner and walked in to sit at their normal booth. Elaine came up to the booth to take their orders, which was simply an excuse to talk to them for a second because she knew their orders. When taking their orders though, she could sense something off about both of their demeanors. Instead of taking their orders to the kitchen, she sat down across from them at their booth so she could try and figure out what might be going on with two of her favorite people.

"You two seem… off. Please, just tell me, is everything okay?"

"We're not sure yet Elaine. Jack—Jack may be sick, but we just don't know yet. We're going in this morning to get some test run."

"Oh, Jack. I will be praying for you; I will be praying for the both of you," she said this while placing her hand of their interlocked hands on top of the table. She squeezed them tightly as she continued, "I believe that you are strong; I believe that you will get through this. I know that you have been through hell and back, and whatever this is doesn't stand a chance against the two of you. You are fighters, and you will get through whatever this is. I know it."

"Thanks Elaine. We'll keep you updated," Jack replied.

"Well, I guess we better get going," Gibbs said nervously as he helped Jack up from the booth and ushered her out the door.

"See ya Elaine. Thanks for everything," he shouted as they walked out the front door.

The entire drive to the doctor's office they were both silent. Neither of them knew exactly what to say or what to feel. They just relied on each other's presence for comfort. This remained so in the waiting room. They simply sat in silence holding hands.

"Jacqueline Sloane," the nurse said from across the room.

Gibbs and Jack looked at each other. He squeezed her hand as they got up from their seats to follow the nurse to them exam room.

"Okay Ms. Sloane, we're going to just run a few simple tests to see if we can find out what's going on with you. First we will go ahead and collect a urine sample, and then we will do a few blood tests. The results should be in by the end of the day for you. Before we get started though, I am going to ask you a few routine questions. Okay, so how long have you been experiencing your symptoms for?"

"A few weeks."

"Okay, and have you been out of the country any time in the past 3 months?"

"Yes… I have been to Mexico, Afghanistan, the U.K., and Canada."

"Wow, quite the world traveler."

"Yeah… It was all mainly for work, but I think we mixed in some pleasure here and there," Jack responded while smiling at Gibbs.

The nurse sort of chuckled at that response. "Okay, and lastly, is there any chance that you may be pregnant Ms. Sloane?"

Both Gibbs and Jack laughed at this question. There was no way in hell that they could be pregnant at their ages and with the fact that Jack was still on the pill. "Yeah, that would be a hard no. He is in his 60s, me, my 50s, and I am on the pill."

"Okie doke. Roger that."

They then poked and prodded her for the next hour or so. After the tests were finished they went on their way. They had both decided it would be best to just go ahead and go to work for the day. They would only drive themselves crazy and draw suspicion if they both took of work. It was a pretty quiet day, but most of it was a blur until Jack got the call that she had been waiting for.

"Special Agent Sloane, your results have come in. We'd like for you to come in this afternoon to discuss them if possible. I would also advise Special Agent Gibbs come in with you."

"Okay. We may have to come in a bit late if that is okay. We are kind of wrapped up here at work. Or we can always just come in in the morning if that would be better?"

"No, you can absolutely come in this evening after work. I will stick around the office after we close. Take your time, I can just catch up on work until you come in. I think it would be best for you to come in tonight instead of waiting until tomorrow."

"Okay. Thank you doctor Millett. We will see you later his evening," she instantly felt a sense of panic wash over her. Why would he insist on us coming in tonight instead of waiting until the morning? She then texted Gibbs to update him real quick.

"Results are in. He wants us to come in tonight…. Gibbs, I'm scared," he read this and instantly knew the state that she must have put herself into. He rushed down to her office to find her curled up on her couch.

"Jack, don't do this to yourself."

"Gibbs, why would it be so important that we come in tonight? I—I don't think I am ready to hear what he has to say. Why can't we just stay in our bubble for just one for more night?"

"Hey… whatever the news is, we will stay in our bubble. We aren't going to let anything burst our bubble. The only thing that can burst our bubble is us choosing to ignore whatever this is. Okay?"

"Okay," they simply stayed on the couch for the next hour waiting for work to end. He wrapped her up in his arms not caring if anyone came in to find them this way.

They arrived to the doctor's office shortly after 7 pm. When they walked into the office they found Dr. Millett sitting on the couch in the waiting room working on a crossword puzzle. He was so 'the type' to work on crosswords in his free time, Jack thought to herself.

"Welcome Agent Gibbs and Agent Sloane. I hope your day went well."

"Please, Doc, call me Jack."

"Okay, and how about you Agent Gibbs?"

"Gibbs," he replied in his usual short tone.

"Okay then," Dr. Millet replied holding back a chuckle.

"So, Doc, give it to me straight. How long do I have? I can take it."

"Well, uh Jack, I am not quite sure that you really are prepared for what I am about to tell you. Now, I know you have a lot of great support around you, and you're going to really need to lean into that in the months to come."

"Months?" Gibbs asked in a worried tone. He tightly squeezed Jack's hand between them. He had lost so many women that he loved, but he was not prepared to hear that he was about to lose this one.

"I'm just going to have to come out and say it. This is not something that I have seen much in my career. Jack, you're not dying. In fact, you are doing about as opposite to that as I can think. Jack, you are pregnant."

The couple sat there in silence and shock. They simply stared at the doctor where he was sitting with looks on their faces as if they had seen ghosts. Dr. Millett let them sit for a second in order to fully grasp what he had just told them.

The silence was then broken by Gibbs, "Pregnant?"

"That is not possible," Jack followed.

"Well, I would have said that too, before today."

"No, no, no, no, no. I'm in my 50s doc, and Gibbs, he's in his 60s. Plus, I'm on the pill."

"Yes, and I understand that, but let me ask you this Jack. In your age, just how routine are you about taking your pill? Do you remember to take your pill every day and at the same time every day? Or do you just take it when you remember and when it works best for you?"

"Uh, well I mean sure, I may miss a day every now and then, and I don't always take it at the same time every day, but how much does that really matter? Especially at our ages?"

"Apparently more than you would think. Because as hard as it to believe it Jack and Gibbs, you two are having a baby. I triple ran those tests myself just to be sure that I hadn't lost my mind. The results don't lie. You have to get yourself ready for everything to change."


	2. Chapter 2

**Happy Thanksgiving to all of my readers!** I am really enjoying writing this one! Stay tuned for planning for the baby in the next chapter and planning to tell the team. Enjoy this holiday season! Requests are welcome as well as reviews!

Chapter 2:

The two went home following the big news that they had just received. They both plopped down onto the couch in complete silence. Neither of them had truly grasped what they had just been told. Finally, after quite a long period of silence, one of them spoke up.

"So," Gibbs said while clearing his throat and turning to face Jack. She still seemed to be in a state of shock. It even seemed as if she hadn't heard what he had said, "Jack?" he then asked, trying to get her attention.

"Huh?" she responded jolting out of her daze.

"I was just checking on ya."

"Oh, uh, okay. I—I don't know how I am yet Gibbs," she said, turning to meet his gaze. "Just this morning I was prepared to hear that I was dying. I couldn't have ever prepared myself for this."

"I understand that Jack, but it's the hand we were dealt. I mean it's a shock… yeah, but this is no longer just about you and I."

"Gibbs, you don't have to pretend. I don't want to force this on you. I don't want to completely change your world with this. It's not fair to you."

"Jack, just stop. You already changed my world well before this…. for the better. You don't get to get off this easy. You don't get to do this… This is _our_ life, this is _our _ surprise, this is _our _ world now."

By this point, Jack had completely broken down into tears. She had never expected her world to come to this place, but she couldn't be more grateful for it. She simply leaned into him holding onto her; she didn't want to ever be anywhere else.

"So, where do we go from here? Do we tell the team? I mean, they're going to have to find out eventually. Do we get married? Jack," he turned her around to look him in his eyes before he continued, "I will marry you tomorrow if that's what you want to do."

"Jethro, I don't need a ring to know that you are mine, and that you aren't going anywhere. Now, as far as the team, I say we keep things as they have been for as long as we can. Leon and Ducky will obviously need to know, but for now, until we get everything figured out, that's it. That okay with you?"

"I'm game for whatever you want Jack. I'm devoted to whatever is best for you, and now, I am devoted to whatever is best for our child," he said while pulling her in for a gentle kiss.

She grinned as he kissed her, "Our child," she said as a single tear rolled down her cheek. Nothing could ever compare to the happiness she felt in this moment. She never dreamed she would have this, but here it was. It wasn't a dream, it was real, and the both of them still couldn't really believe it. They both fell asleep on the couch digesting what a crazy day they had just had and what was to come.

The next morning the two of them headed in to work early. They knew that Leon and Ducky would both be there early as well. This would give them the opportunity to break the news before the remainder of the team got in. They both went directly up to Vance's office; Gibbs had spoken to Ducky earlier that morning on his way to work to ask him to meet them up in Vance's office.

"Well good morning Jack, Gibbs," Leon chimed as the two of them walked in through his office doors. Not far behind them was Ducky. "Dr. Mallard, I was not aware that you would be joining us this morning."

"I'm just as confused as you director. Now, Jethro, Jacqueline, do you care to explain why you called us to this early meeting this morning?" Jack reached down between her and Gibbs to grab his hand for support. She was fighting back tears and was unable to form words. She looked at both of the men standing across from her; she knew they both cared deeply about her, but she was afraid to disappoint them.

"Jack, what's going on?" Vance asked. He was clearly worried about the news he was a bout to receive. What could be going on with his two friends for them to feel the need to call this private meeting with just him and Ducky?

"Jacqueline, whatever this is, whatever needs to be done, I can make some calls for you. I just need to know exactly what is wrong. Now, is it you, or Jethro that I need to be worried about? Jethro, I know cancer runs on your mother's side."

"Nothing's wrong Duck," Gibbs cut him off.

"Well, if nothing is wrong, why did you two call this secret meeting?" Vance asked.

Jack was visibly shaking at this point. Gibbs was just trying to hold her hand tighter to try and soothe her, "Well, I guess there is no getting around this now… Leon, Ducky, I um, I am fine, yes. And… Jethro, well he's fine too. Things are going to be changing though because well, I'm—I'm pregnant. We're pregnant," she said this as she looked up to Gibbs and smiled. Gibbs then wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer. He also had a smile on his face unlike any that Vance or Ducky had seen since they knew him.

Ducky, was completely shocked, but he also appeared very excited about this news. Vance, on the other hand, seemed to have a different secondary emotion form that of Ducky's.

"How the hell did you guys let this happen? How could you two be so damn irresponsible? You two have jobs to do. NCIS can't afford to lose two of our best agents," he said with clear anger in his voice.

"Hold up Leon. You're not going to treat us like we are a bunch of stupid teenagers. Did we plan this? No. Is it going to change some things? Well yeah, but you aren't going to lose me, and you aren't going to lose Jack. Jack is going to work until she no longer can, and I am going to keep doing what I do," Gibbs responded, clearly heated.

"We won't abandon you because of this Leon. You guys are family. NCIS is family. This family is growing, we aren't going to keep our child from its family," Jack followed up.

"Well, I—I don't even know what to say. I am genuinely shocked, but I am even more happy for the both of you. Congratulations," Ducky said with an overjoyed chuckle.

Gibbs and Jack responded in unison, "Thank you Duck." "Thanks Ducky."

"Leon?" Jack asked as she walked over towards him reaching out to put her hand on his arm. She owed everything to this man, and she always sought out for his approval.

"Hell Jack, what do I say? I never dreamed of a day when I would see Gibbs truly in love again. I thought it even more unlikely to see you in love. I was wrong about the both of you, and I'm the one to blame. So I guess you both have me to thank for this," he said with a chuckle and with his hand on his head still in utter disbelief, "You two are my closest friends. I'm still unsure exactly how I feel, but if you two are happy, then I am happy as well. Congratulations. Now, how do you plan on breaking this news to your team? If I'm not mistaken, they aren't even in the now as to the nature of your relationship correct?"

Gibbs then laughed at this question, "Yeah, Leon, you're right about that. We haven't gotten that figured out yet," he rubbed his hand on his head. Jack then squeezed his hand for the first time that morning as if reassuring him as he did for her the whole time. They had a long road ahead of them.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

For the next few months, life went on pretty much as normal. Sure, there was the occasional doctor's appointment and very usual morning sickness that Jack had gotten very good about hiding from everyone, but everything at work had been going smooth up to this point. Nobody had developed any suspicions at all. Jack's growing bump though was soon going to be an issue; she had gotten to the point that her regular clothes were becoming increasingly more uncomfortable. To ease this discomfort she would usually keep her skirts or pants unbuttoned while she would sit at her desk in her office. One day, Jack was feeling unusually terrible; even the smell of water got her nausea kicked up. Palmer sent her a message asking for her to come down to autopsy to help with an aspect of their current case, but she knew if she did so, she would be a goner. She managed to come up with an excuse to get him to come to her office instead. She buttoned back up her skirt and awaited his arrival. A few minutes later she heard a knock at her office door.

"Ah, Dr. Palmer, thank you for coming up here. I have been absolutely swamped this morning."

"Of course Jack," he said as he made his way over to take a seat on her couch.

"So, what is it I can do for yo…" her words trailed off as she began swaying on her way over to take a seat next to him.

"Jack? Is everything okay?" Palmer asked. In just the right timing he leapt forward to catch her as she collapsed into his arms.

Jack woke up on her couch staring into the oh-so-familiar steely blue gaze she had grown accustomed to. She was unsure exactly how long she had been out of it, but it was long enough for not only Gibbs to make his way to her office, but also for the two other men who were in the know on their little secret, and she was fairly certain that at least one other person now knew, and that was Dr. Jimmy Palmer.

"Jack, what happened?" Gibbs asked as he gently rubbed the hair on the top of her head with worry in his eyes.

"I would assume it likely that Jacqueline was far too dehydrated and undernourished this morning for both her and the baby. I am sure her level of regular nausea has made it difficult for her to properly nourish herself and your child. Would that be correct Jacqueline?" Ducky asked.

"Yes Ducky, I haven't eaten anything today at all. Nor have I had anything to drink. I couldn't even stand the scent of water this morning. I figured as long as I stayed fairly low-key today that I would be fine. It usually gets better by afternoon, so that's what I was betting on. I guess, I was wrong this time around."

"Jack, why didn't you call me if you were feeling so bad? You could have taken the day if you felt so bad this morning," Gibbs chimed in.

"No! I promised this pregnancy would not get in the way of my job, and I'm not going to break that promise," Jack responded.

"Jack, I don't give a damn about you coming to work if you are in this kind of state. I know that I made a big deal when I initially found out about this pregnancy, but that was more to make a point. You are family, and your health and now the health of this baby comes first. Got it?" Leon said as he knelt down next to her. He then smiled at her reassuringly, "Now, I order you to follow any of Dr. Mallard or Dr. Palmer's directions for the remainder of this pregnancy as well as your normal doctor's orders. I also want you to take the next week off to recover. Now, lastly, I think it may be time to break the new to the team. I am sure they are all very curious about what could be going on with all of us in here."

"But, Leon," Jack tried to object.

"No buts Jack," Gibbs said.

"Oh man, you too?" Jack asked towards Gibbs.

"Hey, I am on nobody's team. I'm just looking out for what's best for your health and for the health of our child okay?"

"I know, I just wasn't ready for all of this yet. I just wanted to stay in our perfect little bubble for a little bit longer," she said to Gibbs. She then turned to Jimmy, "Okay Palmer, where do I go from here? How do we stop this from happening again?"

"Well, I would like you to get into your doctor just to check on baby and your levels. I also would like you to go ahead and put you on some fluids just so you can get some nutrients for the both of you. I will call in an order of my own of some fluids so if you ever get like this while at the office again I can get you fixed up. Now, please get plenty of rest on your little break and avoid any added stress. Your health and baby's health must now be first priority okay?"

"Sure. Thanks for caring so much for us. Now, before we go, I guess we need to talk to the team. Jim, could you please send them in for us?"

"Sounds like a plan. See you in a week Jack. Take care of yourself while your off. Gibbs you too. You're in charge of the both of them," he said while placing a kiss on Jack's head and placing his hand on her stomach.

"Thanks Leon," Jack said as he walked out.

About ten minutes later the team arrived to her office. They knocked on her door and then entered to find Jack and Gibbs sitting together on the couch across the way. "Uh, boss… Vance said you needed to see all of us. Is everything okay?" McGee asked for the whole team.

"Yes Tim, we needed to talk to all of you about something very important," Jack responded. "There is no way to sugar coat it honestly, so I am just going to just come out and say it too. Gibbs and I have been dating… for quite some time."

"Uh, yeah, we're not shocked about that guys," Bishop chimed in.

Torres chuckled, "Yeah, no."

"We knew that probably wouldn't come as a shock to you all. We had gotten pretty bad at hiding it, but that is not our only news," Jack then cleared her throat to prepare for the rest of the news that she was about to share. She wasn't sure if she was quite ready to do so, but ready or not, it was the time to do so. "We also, um… well, we are adding a new member to our NCIS family because I am actually pregnant. We are pregnant. Almost five months along."

"Wait! What? No, no, no, we all knew that you two were a thing. I mean, that was obvious, but a baby? You're pranking us right? I mean… you do know how old you guys are right?" Bishop asked in disbelief. Torres, McGee, and Kasie stood in complete shock.

"Bishop, we aren't pranking you. Trust me; we we're just as shocked as you were when we found out. This was definitely not something we planned on," Gibbs said.

"Well, I sure hope this wasn't something you planned!" Torres laughed under his breath. Gibbs shot him his typical stare to shut him up.

"Wait, so what does this mean? I mean work-wise. You guys aren't leaving NCIS right?" McGee asked.

"No, we would never leave NCIS; you guys are this baby's family. There is absolutely no reason for us to leave NCIS. I think I simply would go nuts if I had to leave work, and we all now how it tends to work out for Gibbs every time he leaves. Now, I did have a bit of a moment this morning, so I won't be back to work until next week as per the director's orders. I will have to be a little more low-key until this pregnancy is over, but nothing will stop me from doing what I love doing as long as I'm able. This kiddo is just going to have to get used to hanging around this place," Jack said.

"Oh, this is so flippin' crazy, but I am so happy for you guys! Plus, now that your secret is out, we can stop whispering behind your backs about you! So.. do you know if it's a boy or girl? I know people are finding out earlier and earlier now-a-days," Kasie finally chimed in.

"Nope Kase, we don't know yet," Jack answered. She looked at Gibbs and noticed that he seemed to have held back his own response. Jack could tell he was holding something in, but decided to hold of bringing it up to him until later at home. Although they had known about this pregnancy for months now, gender was never something that seemed to be brought up in their conversations. She wondered to herself what he might secretly be hoping for, but thought that that may not be all that he was holding back.

"Well, you all need to get back to work, and I need to get Jack to her doctor's appointment to get everything checked after her episode this morning. I will check back in with all of you later," Gibbs said.

They arrived to the doctor's office about an hour later. They got all checked in and taken back to the exam room immediately. Jack didn't know if it was her age and the risk associated with this pregnancy or if it was simply due to the nature of the appointment today specifically, but she could get used to this kind of service. Dr. Millett was back to join them before they had time to even get settled.

"Good afternoon Special Agents Gibbs and Sloane."

"Doc, how many times do we have to tell you? It's Gibbs and Jack? No need for the whole Special Agents thing."

"Yes, I apologize. Now, Jack, I thought I told you from the beginning to take things easy? We can't afford any repeats of what happened this morning of I will have to force you to go on bed rest until the baby comes."

"I know, I'm sorry doc. Honestly, up to this point I felt like I was doing great, but I can't even seem to keep the idea of water down anymore."

"That should pass soon, but in the meantime, I spoke with your medical examiner this morning, Dr. Jimmy Palmer was it? Anyways, he's going to come by and pick up a stock of fluids to keep at NCIS for you so if you ever feel how you felt this morning we can prevent it from going as far as it did. As for today, my nurse is going to get you set up on an IV for the next hour or so to get for an baby some much needed daily nutrients and to check on baby. Now, you're just a few days short of our scheduled 20 week appointment. We should be able to check gender today for you if you would like while we are checking everything else for you. Would you guys want to go ahead and do that?"

"Yes!"

"No!" the pair responded in unison.

"Okay then, I will let you two figure this out for yourselves. I will be back in about 15 minutes. That should give you guys time to decide.

The nurse then came in to set Jack up on her fluids before Dr. Millet could come back in for the fetal scans. This gave Jack and Gibbs some time to talk with each other to figure out what they truly wanted to do.

"Do you not want to know the gender of our baby Gibbs?"

"No, not really."

"Why? Wouldn't you like to know what we're having so we can plan properly? Paint the nursery, buy clothes, come up with names, you know?"

"Jack, you know I'm not much of a planner. Plus, If I'm not mistaken, those are all things that you can do without knowing the gender of the baby. This baby was a surprise for us in the first place; don't you want to keep the thrill of how it used to be before all of this technology existed with this baby? Let him her or surprise us one last time."

"Yeah," she leaned in to kiss him, "I guess you're right, but only on one condition okay?"

"Name it."

"You have to be the first one to announce the gender of our child. I don't want some nurse or doctor telling me."

"Of course, I would be so happy to do that," he said, placing a kiss on the top of her hand. There was then a knock on the door and in walked in Dr. Millett.

"So, have we come to a decision you two?"

"We sure have. We have decided to keep it a secret, and for Jethro to be the first to announce the baby's gender at birth if possible. Is that okay doc?"

"Absolutely, in fact, I know that this will be one of your favorite decisions when you look back on this pregnancy. These types of births are my all-time favorite ones to witness and be part of. There is nothing like a father being able to share that single moment being the only one to know the gender of his child and then tell the mother. I am so excited for the both of you in the remainder of this pregnancy journey that remains."

"Thanks doc. I didn't get all of these moments with the pregnancy and birth of my first child. You are making all of the dreams I had then come true with this one," Gibbs said to Dr. Millett.

Dr. Millet looked back at Gibbs with surprise on his face. "Oh, Gibbs, I was not aware you had any other children. How do they feel about this situation?"

Jack and Gibbs looked at each other in this moment. Gibbs had a look of pain and sorrow on his face for a moment, and Jack looked back at him as if to check on him and remind him that she was there for him. Gibbs then turned back to respond to Dr. Millett, "Sadly, I don't know how she would feel about all of this. She and he mother were sadly taken from this world too soon thirty years ago. I would like to think that she would be completely overjoyed though."

"She would be…" Jack said, rubbing her thumb along the back of Gibb's hand to comfort him.

"Oh, I am so sorry Gibbs. Had I known…"

"It's okay doc. You had no way of knowing. That's what makes this one that much more special though."

"Well, I will do everything in my power to keep every moment special for the both of you. In the mean time though, stay rested, follow all of mine and Dr. Palmer's orders, and I will see you in another couple weeks. Deal?"

"Sure, thank you doc."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

Life had been going pretty much perfect for the next few months after finally telling the team about their little secret. Life had gone pretty much back to normal. Jack went back to work following her mandated leave from Vance, and she had been doing her best to follow all instructions from Jimmy and Dr. Millett. Things were running like a well-oiled machine, and the baby seemed to be developing perfectly.

Jack was finding joy in every little moment in this pregnancy. She wasn't able to when she was pregnant with Faith because she didn't want to allow herself to grow too attached to a baby that was never truly hers. What made this pregnancy even better though was Gibbs' behavior the entire time. He missed out on all of the little moments when Shannon was pregnant with Kelly because he was overseas, and he was not going to miss a single moment with this one.

One morning, Jack had her 32 week appointment before they had to go into work. The team had grown accustomed to Jack and Gibbs being a little late about every couple weeks due to these appointments. As per usual, Jack and Gibbs arrived early to the doctor's office; they had even gotten into a routine of beating Dr. Millett to the office. By about the third appointment, Gibbs had grown quite fond of the good doctor and how he treated his girl and his future child. He decided to offer a thank-you gesture in his own Gibbs sort of way by arriving to each appointment with a nice hot cup of coffee. Jack was not super fond of this gesture though since she was no longer allowed her usual cup of sugar with a little coffee mixed in while she was pregnant, but it did make her happy to see Gibbs getting along so well with the doctor. Gibbs had few good friends, and she could see this bond continuing after she had the baby.

"Morning you two! Or, should I say you three?" the doctor said as he met the two at the door of the office.

"Morning Doc," Gibbs said cheerfully as he handed the cup of joe to his new buddy.

"Oh, you treat me so well Gibbs," the doctor chimed.

"Do I need to give you two the room?" Jack mumbled under her breath as she witnessed this moment. This pregnancy had gotten her mood changing quite often as she grew in size and discomfort.

"Sorry, Jack… so, how's my favorite patient been since I last saw you?"

"Alright, I guess."

"Jack, don't lie. Doc, she's been in a lot of pain in the last week, honestly, in the last 2 weeks or so, her comfort has completely shifted. The past few days have been almost unbearable from my point of view; I don't know how she's done it. She hasn't even been able to function at work; the director and I sent her home yesterday."

"Jack, you have known our deal this entire pregnancy; you keep your freedom as long as you don't overdo things. I would have to say this may be the last straw though. You're still a few weeks off from being considered full-term, and I would like to do everything in our power to get this little one as close to term as we can. I'm going to check you for signs of pre-term labor just to be safe before I make any final decisions, but I am thinking that bedrest might be our best bet for the remainder of this pregnancy for both your safety and baby's safety."

Dr. Millett ran his normal test he ran each appointment, and then he went on to check on the baby. During the ultrasound, he found that the baby had already flipped into position to get ready for birth. He then moved on to check Jack to see if this had sent her into any progress towards early labor.

"Jack, you're already dilated to about 3 ½ centimeters. This gives me no choice but to order bed rest until you have this baby. If you don't start to slow down, baby will likely come early, maybe even within this next week."

"Woah, woah, woah, we aren't ready for that yet! We don't have the nursery ready yet. We haven't even picked out the crib yet," Jack said in a panicked tone.

"Then I would suggest you follow my orders, Jack. Gibbs, do you promise to keep an eye on her and make sure she is behaving?"

"Yeah, doc. I'll tell the team that they'll just have to report to me while I'm at home with these trouble makers," Gibbs responded. He then turned to Jack, "Don't worry Jack, we'll get everything done ASAP. Even if I need to enlist the help from the team; this baby will come home to a ready nursery and home."

Gibbs called Leon to update him and the team on the situation. Until the baby came, he would be working from home so he could keep an eye on Jack. He had no worries about work though; this wasn't the first time that he had to take a hiatus. His team was more than capable to run things in his absence; they had proven that time and time again. When they got back to the house, Gibbs got Jack set up in the rocking chair he had built for the nursery upstairs. She was determined to get all of the clothes for the baby folded and put away as well as getting some of the small décor set up. He knew this wasn't a difficult task, and that the doctor would be fine with this, so he decided to leave her in peace and make his way to continue his secret project in the basement. He was thankful that during her pregnancy Jack wasn't allowed down in the basement due to all of the sawdust and other weird things floating around in the air down there. This gave him the perfect cover for the last few months to work on a special surprise for her and the baby. He was almost done, and so he had asked Tim to come over in the middle of the workday so he could help Gibbs carry up the surprise to the nursery.

He yelled up the stairs to Jack to make sure that she was still occupied, "Jack, you still doing alright? Ya need anything?"

"I'm doing fine. Was about to come down and get me a snack though."

"No, just stay up there. I'll bring you something!"

"Oh, okay. Thanks, babe!"

"Babe, boss?" Gibbs asked with a chuckle. Gibbs just shook his head with a grin as he headed back to the basement. McGee followed behind to help him. They got the surprise and began the trek up the main set of stairs with it. Once they got up to the top of the second floor they stopped just outside the closed door of the nursery. Gibbs had told McGee to wait as he got Jack to close her eyes for the surprise. She promised not to open her eyes until she was told to. The men both then shuffled in the surprise into place, careful not to make too much noise as to not ruin the surprise for Jack. Once it was in place, McGee left the room and waited out in the hall to try and catch Jack's reaction. He was not prepared for what he turned to see.

Gibbs knelt in front of Jack on one knee. He grabbed her hand from her lap; her eyes were still shut, but it took every ounce of self-control for her not to open them as she felt his touch.

"Okay Jack, I want you to open your eyes and look behind me okay?"

"Okay," she opened her eyes and did as he asked. Behind him was the most beautiful hand-crafted crib made to match the very rocking chair she was sitting in. She instantly began to cry in joy of what she was seeing, but that was only the first part of the surprise Gibbs had planned for her. She hadn't even noticed what was right in front of her. Her eyes finally made their way down to the man in front of her on the ground, but her eyes were met with the most beautiful ring in his hand.

She looked at him in complete shock, "Wh—what are you doing?" she laughed gently while still clearly overwhelmed about what was going on.

"Look, Jack, I know you said that you didn't need this. I—I just can't imagine my life without you in it for good. I honestly have been wanting to do this since before the baby, but I never had to guts to do it. The baby is what gave me the kick in the ass to finally just do it, so here I am. I don't want you to be just another wife though. This is real; you two are my world, so Jack, will you please do me the honor of being my forever?"

"Oh my god! I didn't know you had this in you!" she exclaimed as she grabbed his face pulling him in for a kiss.

He gently pulled away for a moment, "So, is that a yes?"

"Hell yes," she responded.

He couldn't help but grin. That was one of the first things she said to him about working with him a couple of years ago, and now here they were, planning on spending forever together and raising a child together. He stood up and helped pull her up from the chair to wrap her up in his embrace. They simply stood there wrapped in each other's arms for five minutes straight without saying a word. This moment was broken though, by a shock. Suddenly, there was a splash of fluid between them. Jack and Gibbs' eyes suddenly met with joint shock and terror.

"Uh… Jack?"

"Gibbs…"

"I guess this means we're doing this thing today."

"But, I'm not ready. It's too early babe. I'm not to term," Jack was suddenly in a fierce panic.

Gibbs grabbed her and looked her in her eyes with a calmness over him, "Shh. Everything is going to be okay Jack. It's only a few weeks early, and we have a crib, we have a house, and we have each other. That's all this baby needs. I've got you both; I won't let anything bad happen either of you. You are both my world remember? Now, let's go get ready to do this thing," he said as he leaned down to kiss her stomach. He then stood up and kissed her gently. He always knew what to say or what to do to make her feel safe.

"McGee? You still out there?"

"Yeah, boss."

"Wait… McGee?" Jack asked with confusion. How long had he been out there?

"Well yeah, Jack. Couldn't carry that crib up myself. It's solid and heavy as hell," Gibbs responded. "McGee, call the team. Give them the update. Tell them that the baby is making its's arrival today. I will keep you all updated from the hospital."

"On it boss, and Jack, good luck. You've got this."

"Thank you, Tim!"

McGee then made his way out of the house to head back to NCIS to let the team in on all of the news. He wasn't sure though if he was going to let them know about the extra part to Gibbs' surprise for Jack. He figured that may be better news for them to break to the team.

Gibbs then put his hand on the side of Jack's cheek. He had no clue how he had gotten so lucky to call her his. He gave her is gentle grin that he only gave her, "Let's go meet our baby."

"Let's go meet our baby," she responded with a smile.

Chapter Notes:

Boy or girl? What do you guys think it will be?

Thank you guys so much for all of the wonderful reviews and comments! I love any and all suggestions for how to move plots forward. I will likely be posting chapter 5 this afternoon as well, so be on the look-out for it! It's a big one! I'm not exactly how long I want to go on with this story, but I am really loving it, so expect at least a few more chapters. Please let me know some ideas for what I should do with this story following the birth of the baby.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

Gibbs and Jack quickly loaded up in the truck to head to the hospital. They had been told by Dr. Millett from the very beginning that at any sign of labor they needed to head straight to the hospital so that they could monitor Jack and the baby closely through the whole process. It was about a twenty-minute drive from the house. The first half of the drive was spent in complete silence. Gibbs was completely focused on driving and getting them there as quickly and safely as possible. Jack was focused on her first real contractions. They were coming faster than she had expected for this early in the process and were already quite strong. Gibbs could see her bracing through some of them, and he reached down to grab her hand between the two of them. He still remained silent, simply squeezing to remind her of his presence. It was all she needed at this moment. After the first of the contractions finally passed, she finally broke the silence.

"Jethro, this is our last time just being us. After today, we will be a family of three."

"Yeah, I was just thinking about it. Just wanting to soak it all up before everything completely changes. I'm so ready to meet this little one, but I am going to miss the simplicity of it all, of our bubble that we have been in for a while."

"Yeah… me too. Let's make a promise though," she then cut off and squeezed his hand tighter, bracing through another strong contraction. He said nothing, but instead just squeezed her hand back. It was all he knew to do; Jack wasn't one for verbal encouragement. He did exactly what she needed him to do in the moment to get through it, "a promise, to keep what we have. This baby can't be something that pulls us apart; it can't be something that takes away everything that we have had. This baby will be an addition, not a divider to our love. Promise?"

"I promise, Jack." This baby could never take away from my love for you. It could only make me love you that much more. You are the reason I even get the chance to be a father again. I will forever be indebted to you for that. I love you, Jack."

"I love you more."

Before they knew it, they were pulling up to the hospital. Gibbs had called Dr. Millett before they left the house to warn him that they would be coming in. Dr. Millett told him that he would meet them there. Just as Gibbs and Jack got in the doors of the Labor and Delivery Ward, Dr. Millett barged in behind them. He helped lead them back to their room. As Jack was getting set up with the assistance of the nurse, Dr. Millett made his way over to check on Gibbs.

"What Gibbs? No coffee for me this time?"

"Not enough time doc," Gibbs responded with a laugh.

Dr. Millett then made his way over to check on a very anxious Jack, "Just couldn't wait to see me again huh Jack?"

"As much as I wish I could take credit doc, this was definitely not a part of my plan. I mean, I'm not ready yet. You told me this morning how important it was to get this baby to as close to full-term as we can. I mean… everything is going to be okay right doc? You can't let anything happen to this baby."

"Jack, your baby will be just fine. You are at thirty-two weeks. By this point, all of your baby's vital organs are fully developed except the lungs. Those will be close to full development though, baby will have even been taking practice breaths to prepare for entrance into this world. What you can expect is a little time in the NICU for your baby, but nothing too major. I would predict anywhere from a few weeks to a little over a month's stay. That stay will include breathing therapy to help finish developing the lungs and some time to allow baby to get to an acceptable weight to go home. I can assure you though, that your baby will be in the best hand possible for however long it may be. We won't let anything happen to you, and we won't let anything happen to your baby. Now, you have a job that you need to do so that we can do our jobs. I will be back in an hour or so to check up on you," Jack reached out his hand to the doctor. He then extended his hand in her direction to meet hers.

"Thank you, Dr. Millett, for taking such good care of the both of us this whole time."

"My job's not over yet, but you are beyond worth every minute of it. This whole journey with your little family has truly been a blessing."

Jack and Gibbs were left alone in the room for the next hour or so. Gibbs continued to silently support Jack as she labored. He admired her as she worked through the pain. He knew she didn't need words; she just needed his presence to feel safe. She had been through all of the worst pains humanly imaginable in her lifetime, but this was an entirely different kind of pain. Although her body had been through this once before, she couldn't remember any of it from how drugged out she was when she went through it the first time. She was actually grateful for the fact that she couldn't remember most of it; this allowed her to dull the heartache from the whole experience and made every moment of this experience more real and special.

Suddenly, something felt completely different. She couldn't tell if what she was feeling was something going wrong or just further progression, but it had her worried. Her demeanor changed in an instant from a calm focus to terror. Gibbs sensed this shift in mood immediately, "Jack?" he asked with a slight shake in his voice. He was clearly worried, but he didn't want her to see that.

"Call for Dr. Millett, I'm not sure what's going on," her breathing was rushed as if she were panicked.

Gibbs instantly bolted to the door and shouted out to the nurses' station that they needed Dr. Millett now. The nurses suddenly scrambled towards Jack's room, and quickly behind them, rushed in Dr. Millett. Jack had made her way back into the bed while all of the commotion was going on. She had avoided the bed pretty much the entire time; she hated feeling confined. This was one way that both Gibbs and Dr. Millett knew that something was up.

"Jack, give me a sitrep. That's what it is called right?" he joked, trying to distract Jack from her panic for even a second.

"Something's off doc. I just suddenly felt off."

"Well, lay back and let me figure out what could be going on," he then examined her to try and see what was going on. "Jack, nothing is off; that difference you feel is your baby telling you that it's ready to meet you. You are fully dilated, and your baby is literally right there. A couple of solid pushes and your baby will be here."

"Really?" Jack asked.

"Yes Jack, really. Also, remind me not to ever mess with you. You must have one hell of a pain tolerance if you progressed that quickly without a complaint," the doctor said with a laugh.

"You have no idea doc," Gibbs chortled back at him, shaking his head.

"Well, okay then you two. Are you ready to finally meet your baby? Jack, when you feel your next contraction I want you to take a deep breath in and push."

Jack felt the next contraction coming on and braced down to push. Just as the doctor said, in just two pushes the baby was out. She then heard the best words she had ever heard in her life from the man she loved more than she ever thought possible, "Oh Jack, it's a boy, and he's completely perfect," just as Gibbs had finished saying this, her beautiful son was laid out on her chest. Right as he made contact with her he let out the most beautiful little cry. She couldn't help but cry silently along with him; this was a moment she always dreamed of having for herself but never thought possible.

"Time?" Dr. Millet asked his nurse.

"The time is 15:04 doctor."

Next thing she knew, the baby had been removed from her chest and was being taken aside to be assessed and measured, "Jethro, don't you leave him for a single second," Jack cried out.

"I won't, I promise," he replied as he placed one last kiss on her head before walking off to go with the nurses and his brand new son.

The remainder of the nurses finished cleaning up Jack and getting her ready for post-delivery for the next half hour. They then moved her up to a different room; she was going to have to stay in the hospital for the next week to recover due to risks associated with delivering a baby at her age. She was starting to get a bit restless awaiting an update on her baby's condition. In just the perfect timing, Gibbs had walked into her room, "Where is he? You promised you wouldn't leave him!" Jack said as he walked towards her.

"Shh… Jack, it's okay. They are coming right behind me with him."

"They are?"

"Yes, they are," he said as he placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"So, does that mean…"

"He's perfect babe. He is breathing completely on his own, and he is just a little underweight to leave yet. Doc said he shouldn't have to stay more than a couple weeks at most."

"He—he's okay?" she began to tremble, trying to hold back tears of shock and joy.

"Why don't you let him tell you for himself," they heard Dr. Millett say as he surprised them by wheeling in their baby in front of him to the edge of Jack's bed. Gibbs then bent down to pick him up and then proceeded to sit him down on Jack's chest. Instantly, she was unable to hold back the tears as she looked down on the perfect little bundle on her chest.

"So, just how tiny is he exactly?"

"Four pounds, two ounces, and seventeen inches long," Gibbs replied.

"He will be able to go home once he reaches four and a half pounds. His breathing is perfect; no assistance is needed at all. I guess he is just an over-achiever. It's likely he is just trying to establish his place among his parents' ranks. I would say that he will be able to go home in a little less than two weeks as long as he is a good eater. Jack, you did amazing. I am so proud of you for this entire journey. Now, I will leave the three of you be," Dr. Millett said as he left the room.

The three of them laid in complete peace together in the hospital bed. Gibbs laid with Jack layed up against his chest between his legs in front of him, and the baby slept peacefully on her chest. She hadn't let him leave this position for the last hour. Gibbs had texted the team to announce the birth of the baby, but he asked for them to wait until the next day to come meet the baby and find out the gender. They just wanted to stay in their new bubble for one night if possible and soak up every perfect moment. They were both still in utter disbelief that this was all real life and that it was their lives. The silence was broken when Jack decided to speak up. She turned her head around to meet the cool sea of blue that was Gibbs' eyes looking back at her, "Do you think he could be any more perfect?" she asked in a gentle and content tone.

"Nope. Don't think that's possible," he responded.

"We're going to have to give him a name you know? We can't introduce him to his family as baby no-name Gibbs. You know, I was so convinced that he was going to be a girl that I didn't come up with any boy names?"

"Yeah, me too."

"Do you have any ideas though? I mean we both know the importance of a solid name."

"Yeah. I was thinking that maybe I wanted to include Jackson in his name, maybe as his first name? That way we could honor two very important people with his name, his grandpa and his mom" I mean I was wanting to include Jacqueline in his name if he was a girl, so why not use Jackson instead? It's solid… And, I was just thinking about maybe using Vance as his middle name; I mean, without Leon, this little guy wouldn't even exist."

"I don't know babe. I mean if we choose to include Vance in his name you know that Leon will forever feel like he owes us something. Plus, I'm thinking that he needs to have his daddy included in his name somewhere. I was liking Jethro for his first name," Gibbs grinned, shaking his head, "Oh, come on Gibbs, Jethro is a strong name, and we could honor his big sister in his middle name. I was wanting to use Kelly for his middle name if he was a girl, but I think it works just as great for a boy."

Gibbs looked back at Jack with tears in his eyes, but he choked them back and instead began to chuckle, "Babe, we can't name him Jethro, I'm sorry, but I draw the line there. Naming him Jethro sets him for all kinds of trouble; trust me. How about instead, we try and merge our ideas? How do you like the sound of Jackson Kelly Gibbs?"

Instantly, a single tear fell down Jack's cheek, "That's it," it was all she was able to choke out. She had no clue what she ever did to deserve this, but she would never give up this moment for anything else. She simply wrapped back into the arms of her true love and stared at the perfect mix of the two of them asleep on her chest. She couldn't imagine any moment ever topping this one.

"Welcome to the family Jackson Kelly Gibbs. We love you more than you could ever know," she said as she placed a kiss on top of his head.

***Well, here is the big day. I hope the wait has been worth it. I hope some of you caught the time of the baby's birth is the episode where Gibbs and Jack met (15x04) wanted to get creative with that by using military time; I know quite a bit of hospitals use this type of timekeeping as well. I know I likely disappointed some of you with the gender of the baby. I just know that both Jack and Gibbs have blessing and pain associated with daughters, and I just imagine them to be the best boy parents of all time. I also really wanted to find a way to honor Gibbs' dad's name with this baby while also honoring Jack herself. I could see that being something Gibbs would want to do. I also hope that Kelly isn't too girly of a middle name for you all. I know a couple of men named Kelly, and really like the idea of Jack wanting to include it in the name of their baby. **Please keep reviewing and leaving suggestions.** Next chapter is everybody meeting the baby. Please tell me who you would like to be included in this; I am willing to bring back old characters if I see fit, but I will not bring back Abby. I am no longer much of a fan of her character after all of the Pauley P. drama. **Anyways Thanks as always for reading!**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6:

The next morning, Gibbs woke in the same place that he had fallen asleep; Jack was laid in front of him still wrapped in his arms, but there was one piece of their little puzzle that was missing. The nurses must have come in during the night to take Jackson back to the NICU for the night. Jack then began to stir awake; suddenly, she jerked forward, which shocked Gibbs for a moment.

"Where is he?" she asked in a panic.

"It's okay babe. They took him to the NICU last night so we could get some rest. He's okay I promise."

She then leaned back into him. He wrapped his arms tightly around him. AS he did so, he could feel her pounding chest begin to calm. He hated seeing her so stressed, and he was worried. This was the last way he expected to see her behaving right now. He knew that post-partum stress was fairly common, but he didn't know much about it and how to handle it. He also knew that this was something that he would need to talk to Dr. Millett, Dr. Confalone, and Ducky about so they could get on top of this. He was already worried about her current state and hated the idea of how bad this could get, but it's definitely not something he would be able to handle on his own.

"What time is it?" Jack asked.

"Almost eight," Gibbs responded.

"Don't think I've slept this late since I was a kid."

"You needed it; yesterday was a helluva' day."

"That's for sure. Do you think you could get the nurses to go get him? I really need to see him right now."

"You got it," he said as he got up from the bed.

She could tell that the way the slept last night had taken a toll on his mature body. He tried his hardest not to show it, but the slight limp he had and the way she kept shifting his head from side to side as if to shake a crick out told her all she needed to know. He poked his head out the door to look at the nurses' station. He made eye contact with one of the morning shift nurses at the station, "Good morning Mr. Gibbs. How are the two of you?"

"We are doing pretty good thank you. Not exactly the Adam's House, but it'll do for now. She was wondering if you all could bring him down so she can see him. I also need to talk to Dr. Millett soon if you can let him know."

"Of course, I will let NICU know that you guys are ready for him to be brought back down to you. I can also get in touch with Dr. Millett, but today is his day off, so it may take a bit for him to get back with you. I can call the doctor on shift if it something she needs now though."

"No, no rush. Just let Dr. Millett know whenever works best for him works for us."

"Alright, sir."

"No need to call me sir; just call me Gibbs."

"Alright, Gibbs," she said with an embarrassed grin, picking up the phone to call NICU.

Gibbs made his way back into the room to find Jack had shifted and was now sitting on the edge of the bed just looking out the window of their room. She had very little life in her look; she almost looked completely hollow emotionally. He walked up beside her, careful not to startle her as he gently ran his hand along her lower back. A slight grin came across her face, replacing her lack of emotion for a brief second, but that went away as her attention shifted once more, "Are they going to bring him down?"

"Yes. They were just calling NICU to have him brought here. Now, let's get you up and changed. I am sure you will feel so much better if we get you into some fresh clothes from home."

"Yeah, good idea," she said as he gently helped her up from the bed. She was barely able to hold herself up, so she leaned into him for support. This feeling of complete helplessness and dependence was not something she was very familiar with. She didn't remember being in this state after having Faith at all. She was glad that she had him for support though; she was feeling all kinds of feelings that she had no clue how to describe, but she knew that she would not be able to handle them alone at all. What she was feeling confused her, but she kept them in for now; if she couldn't even describe them, how would anybody else?

Her eyes drooped, he could still tell something was off with her right now. She really wasn't speaking until someone spoke to her first, but this was not something that he knew how to bring up or even was prepared to bring up to her. This led to silence between the two of them as he gently helped her change into her new clothes. These were something they picked out early into the pregnancy; they both had intended this to be a memory of joy that they felt when preparing for the baby, but instead of bringing light to her eyes and sparking that joy, she just remained an empty shell.

"You look good, Jack," he said as he then helped her down into the chair next to the bed. She was tired of being confined to the bed, so he hoped this would be a nice change of scenery for her.

"Don't lie, Gibbs."

"No lying, Jack," he said. He brushed the hair out of her face and kissed her shoulder; he then kissed the spot that always made her smile, right behind her ear. This time, it did nothing. "I talked to the team. They are dying to meet him; they don't even know his gender. I told them as long as you were ready, that they could come later this morning. Would that be something you're up to?"

"Yeah, they're family. They need to meet him," her face briefly lit back up, thinking about the team meeting the baby.

"Okay, I will let them know then."

The nurses arrived with Jackson a few minutes later, "Here we are, momma. I hope you didn't miss us too much."

Jack sat up quickly from her slumped position, smiling from ear to ear, "Oh, I wish I could say that I didn't, but we all know that that would be a major lie."

The nurse gently handed Jackson to her, "Now, I know last night we tried breastfeeding, but weren't very successful. Both of you had long days yesterday though, so I say we try it out again this morning. Are you up for trying that now, momma?"

"Yes, I'm very ready to try again. This has always been a dream of mine."

"Oh, absolutely, there is nothing like the bond that forms between a mother and child through breastfeeding. No other bond like it exists."

The next moments were all that Jack had always wished for. She had been very discouraged following the unsuccessful attempts last night to breastfeed Jackson. The nurse couldn't have been more right though, the instant connection Jack felt with her son at this moment was unlike any bond she had ever felt. The moment was interpreted by a knock at the door, and in walked Dr. Millett, "Good morning," he chimed. "How is my favorite patient doing?"

"We are doing pretty darn good, doc. We just successfully got him to latch and feed for a bit. Oh, also, we came up with his name last night!"

"Well, let me hear it."

"Dr. Millett, I am pleased to introduce you to Jackson Kelly Gibbs, the light of my entire life. He is named after his grandpa Gibbs, and his sister, Kelly Gibbs."

"He's named after you too, Jack. Don't you forget that; it was part of our compromise remember?" Gibbs chimed in.

Dr. Millett observed Jack's reaction to this statement from Gibbs. It was not what one would expect, especially from Jack. She simply gave him a single nod to acknowledge the statement and avoided making eye contact with him. It was as if she were rejecting it altogether.

"Well, it is an absolute pleasure to meet you, Jackson," Dr. Millett said as he reached for the extended arm of the infant. He decided to reach further to try and gather more observations of Jack's behavior, "You know Jack, Jackson translates to son of Jack? It also means personal integrity, which knowing who his parents are, I would say is also quite fitting."

Once again, Jack's face shifted from her smile while looking at Jackson to almost a look of apathy. Both men took notice of these changes in her demeanor, "Gibbs, can I speak to you out in the hallway for a moment?" Dr. Millett asked.

"Sure, doc. Babe, I'll be right back. You think you're good for a bit just the two of you?"

Jack just nodded her head in response and went back to looking at Jackson, "If you need anything, just push the nurses' call button, okay? Oh, and the team should be here in the next hour or so."

"Okay," she looked up for a moment to meet him with a gentle smile. This was the first pure smile she showed him since Jackson was born. At least something else had a way of brightening her up for even a moment.

The two men made their way out to the hallways. Dr. Millett directed Gibbs towards a bench in the hallway for them to sit and talk at, "Tell me I'm not just seeing things, doc," Gibbs said.

"You're not, Gibbs. Post-partum depression is fairly common, especially in cases of older women giving birth."

"Depression?"

"Yes, Gibbs. It exhibits itself in all sorts of forms post-partum. In Jack's case, it is showing as high levels of anxiety surrounding Jackson and apathy towards anything else. It's caused by the sudden and extreme hormone shifts women face after delivering. It is unknown why some patients face it and others don't, but Jack is, and there is nothing we can do about that except help her through it. We just have to be there for her, find out what triggers responses and episodes, and help her realize that there is nothing wrong with her, but that what she is feeling is natural and will eventually go away. It would really help if we could get her seeing a psychologist; since Jack herself is one, it is hard for anyone else to reach her. I can get you in touch with some referrals to some of my colleagues if you need."

"No, doc, I have just the woman for the job. She's been there through some of both Jack and my darkest times."

"Okay, great. You will need to get me in touch with this doctor though, I would like to stay in the loop through Jack's recovery."

"Dr. Confalone will be here today. I will make sure she gets hooked up with you so you guys can get a game plan going."

As the two men were finishing up with their conversation, Gibbs saw the team arrive and walk up to the nurses' station to try and locate Jack's room, "Gotta go doc, the team's here," Gibbs said with a grin as he stood up from the bench. He had made eye contact with Bishop at that moment. He quickly approached them, being instantly met with a giant hug from his female agent. The two of them formed an almost instant bond when she arrived to NCIS; she quickly became like a daughter to him. Through all of the hell that the two of them had faced through their years of knowing each other, they only grew closer. This was the icing on the cake for their relationship though, something about seeing Gibbs so happy only made Bishop happier and made their bond grow. The rest of the team followed up with classic smiles, pats on the back, and "congratulations".

"Let me go let Jack know that you are all here."

"Uh, Mr. Gibbs…" one of the nurses said, trying to catch his attention over the bustle.

"Nurse Kristen, I thought I told you that it was just Gibbs."

"Oh, yeah, sorry. Gibbs, you're only allowed three visitors in the room at once."

"Oh, okay," he turned back to the team, "You guys can figure this out yourselves."

He went back into the room to let her know about the team's arrival. She didn't hear him come in, so he gently knocked on the wall of the entry-way of the room and said, "knock, knock," to catch her attention.

"Oh, hi," she smiled at him, which momentarily made his heart melt. That was the Jack he remembered falling in love with.

"Team's here. They're allowed three at a time in the room. I told them to hash it out who got to go first. Now, if this gets to be too much and you need a break for a moment or even until another day, just let me know. I'm not scared to kick out any of them."

"Got it," she chuckled, "Send the first troops in."

"Alright, then," Gibbs also chuckled. He went back out the door to peak it out and notify the team that they were ready for them. First up, of course, was Leon and Ducky. The three men entered the room quietly, Leon and Ducky taking in the sight. Neither of them could quite wrap their minds around the fact that this was all real and that all of the months since they found out about the pregnancy had led to this moment. Neither of them spoke a word, they simply admired in pure awe.

Finally, Ducky broke the silence, as was his custom, "That sure is a beautiful sight, wouldn't you agree Director?"

"I sure would, doctor Mallard," Leon said with a smile from ear to ear.

"Well, are you two going to just stand there in gawk, or are you going to come and officially meet him?" Jack and Gibbs had agreed to not put any clothing that would instantly give away his gender. They wanted to keep the team in suspense when they met him.

"Him?" Leon responded.

"Yes, him. Gentlemen, meet Jackson Kelly Gibbs," she said smiling at the two men who cared so much about her. It felt as if she were introducing her child to her father and brother. That was how close she was to these two men. The situation was almost overwhelming emotionally. As she reached out to hand Jackson to Leon, a tear rolled down her cheek.

Leon took the child into his arms and noticed the tear stream down Jack's face. He reached out with one hand to brush the tear off her face. He then looked down at the baby in his arms with pure adoration. This was the child nobody ever would have thought possible, it was the perfect mix of his two closest friends; it took everything in his power not to begin crying as well, "Hello little man; welcome to this crazy family. I hope you are half as strong as both of your parents because you are going to need it to handle all of us," he gently laughed, "Guys, he is perfect. Just the right ratio of Jack to Gibbs."

"What, 9:1?" Gibbs asked with a chuckle.

"Oh, shut up Gibbs. You know this dude will be a handsome devil with Jack's beauty and your steel blue eyes. No girls will ever stand a chance against him," Leon retorted.

"I concur," Ducky said. "Jaqueline, how are you doing? I know recovering can be quite difficult. How are you managing?"

"I'm doing fine Ducky. Thank you for checking."

"Now, Director, I believe it is time for Jackson to meet his grandpa Ducky," Ducky said, reaching his arms out towards Leon.

"Alright then, grandpa Ducky, just don't tell him too many stories. He will be a threat to the whole world if he has half of their good looks and half of your brain." Leon said as he bent down to transfer the infant to Duck's arms.

"Why, hello there Jackson. You will have to hear the stories of everything that led to you being here with us. I won't bore you with all of that right now though. I just want you to know how happy I am to meet you."

The four adults sat and talked for nearly an hour. They reminisced on the past and everything that led to this very moment. They then began talking about the future and how they saw it unraveling. Gibbs didn't speak much, he simply sat back and smiled, taking in the moment. This was the happiest everyone had been since Ducky took on his new role at NCIS. After a little while longer, they were interrupted by a knock at the door; in walked on of the nurses, "Excuse me, I need to take the baby for some of his one-day old testing," she quickly reached down to grab Jackson and swiftly exited the room with him. This instantly sent a shift in Jack's demeanor.

"Babe, why didn't you go with him? You promised you wouldn't leave his side when he wasn't in here with us!" she said to Gibbs.

"Jack, I'm sure he's fine. He is in the best hands at the best hospital. They are going to just run a few tests and then he will be brought right back here."

"No, Gibbs. You need to go find where they took him and stay with him the entire time. I don't trust them alone with him," she had almost come out of the bed at this point.

Ducky and Leon quickly rushed over to her side to try and get her calmed as Gibbs did as she said and left to go be with Jackson.

"Jack, hey, Jack. It's okay, Gibbs is going to go find him and stay with him. Jackson is okay."

"Leon, let me go!"

"Jacqueline, you need to calm down for us. Jethro is going to stay with Jackson, and everything is okay. What you need to do though is settle; this type of stress is not good for your recovery."

She finally settled back down and listened to the two men. Her rapid breathing began to still, and her eyes quit darting between the men and the door. She looked at each man in front of her, realizing exactly what had just happened, "Oh my God, I am so sorry guys. I—I don't know what came over me," she was almost in tears at this point from embarrassment.

"Shh… it's okay," Leon said, brushing his hand over her hair, trying to keep her calm and soothe her.

Ducky simply sat back and let Leon take this portion of the job while he continued to observe Jack's behavior. Leon and had an unmatchable bond; aside from Gibbs, Leon was the only person who knew Jack better than she knew herself. Ducky wanted to be able to observe Jack in this situation so he could properly assess her condition. Leon then decided to try and take Jack's mind of the situation until Gibbs returned, which ended up working fairly well. Jack was truly embarrassed and would do whatever it took to try and forget what she had put two of the men she cared most about through.

"We're back," Gibbs said, entering the room with Jackson in his arms. Jack smiled, but she didn't show the same emotion that had been connected to the baby since was a sense of hesitation in her, which worried Gibbs even more than he had been before. He didn't want what had happened to scare Jack from connecting to her son. "I told the team that we needed a bit of time before we take in some more visitors. They're going to come back this evening to give us some time to rest this afternoon," he handed the child back to Jack and placed a kiss on her cheek.

He then turned to the other two men in the room, "Thank you for taking care of my girl," he said lightly to them so that Jack couldn't hear, "We'll catch back up later?"

"Sure thing, Gibbs," Leon responded.

"Yes, absolutely, we will talk soon," Ducky responded," Goodbye Jacqueline and Jackson," he said as he walked out of the room.

"Bye Jack," Leon said, giving Jack a gentle smile as he walked out behind Ducky.

Both men left worried about their friend. They had not expected to see her in this state, and they did not know how long it would take to get her back to the same old Jack they loved. They knew this was something that clearly had Gibbs worried as well, and knew that it would be something that the three of them would need to discuss sooner rather than later.

Notes: This chapter took and turn I had not expected when I was working on it. I just thought we might need a little drama added for interest in this story. Next chapter the rest of the team will finally meet Jackson. How do you think they will get Jack out of this? How long will it take? Who will it take? Please continue giving me reviews and suggestions. I hope you enjoyed!


	7. Chapter 7

Hey guys! I am finally, finally back. Sorry about my essentially abandoning this story. I had to focus on my own mental health, school, and work... BUT I am back, and I plan on updating this story at least once a week. I plan on around 10-12 chapters minimum on this story depending on reviews/interest. I am also so sorry that the last time I posted this chapter there was an error in converting the file which lead to it being typed as almost code. It should be fixed and right now! Please leave reviews on where you hope to see this story moving. I have chapter 8 done, but I am open to suggestions/changing my plans.

Chapter 7:

"Jack?"

"Huh," she replied. She was just sitting in the bed staring at the baby in her lap. The empty look on her face from earlier had returned, which had him worried.

"You know what Jack," he walked over to her bed, reaching out to grab their son from her. He felt that he had barely gotten any time to bond with Jackson through all of the chaos. "We need to talk about the episode."

"I know we do. I just don't know what it was. I don't know what came over me. I—I don't know what is wrong with me babe. I," she had burst into tears at this point. He simply sat Jackson down in the bassinet next to the bed. He could get some bonding time later; right now, he needed to focus on Jack. He quickly sat in the bed next to her and pulled her tightly into his chest.

"Hey, nothing is wrong with you," he grabbed her face and turned her towards him. She was too ashamed to look back at him at the moment, "Look at me. Jack, look at me now," she looked back at him through the flowing tears," There is **nothing** wrong with you. We are going to get you the help you need. We are going to get you through this; we are going to get through this together. I have already talked with Dr. Millett and Dr. Confalone, she is going to come see us later today to meet Jackson and see how you both are doing. This is not your fault; this is nobody's fault. We are going to get you back to being you whatever it takes; you will be you again babe because we need you, all of us, the team, me, and Jackson. We need you and love you no matter what."

The two of them stayed wrapped up with each other laying in the bed. Jack was silently sobbing into his chest. She gently drifted off. Gibbs even drifted off for a moment before being awoken by the buzz of his phone in his pocket. Careful not to awake Jack, he reached down to grab his phone and read the message, "I know you aren't much of a texter Popeye; just checking in on our girl before I get the chance to swing by this afternoon. If you need anything before then, just let me know," it read.

"not good doc," Gibbs sent back.

This three word response shook Grace to the core. He would not have responded unless the situation was dire. It was only three words, but the fact that he took the time to send anything back told her all that she needed to know. She immediately went to the front of her office, "Please cancel all of the rest of my appointments for the day," she said to her receptionist.

"Is everything okay Dr. Confalone?" the young receptionist responded with worry.

"I'm afraid not, family emergency. I should be back tomorrow, but I will let you know as soon as I know. Thank you, and please apologize deeply to all of my patients for me," Grace responded. She wasn't lying entirely and felt no remorse. Jack and Gibbs were her family, or at least close as she had to family. This was an emergency in her book, and she wouldn't let anything get in the way of rushing to their aid. Jack was the strongest woman she had ever met, and for Gibbs to show any level of worry about her scared Grace more than she could express. She rushed to the hospital as quickly as she could, letting Gibbs know that she was with a simple response, "on my way."

She arrived to the hospital in less than 10 minutes on what should have been an about 20 minute drive. Gibbs hadn't even gotten the chance to wake Jack. The nurses had come by and gotten Jackson shortly after Jack fell asleep to give the new parents a chance to get some rest. Dr. Confalone ran up to the nurses' station, "Hi, I am Dr. Grace Confalone. I am here to meet with one of my patients, Special Agent Jaqueline Sloane."

"Okay, she is in room 607, were her and Special Agent Gibbs aware of your visit? Last time we were in there, they were both resting."

"Yes, I have been talking with Gibbs all morning."

"Okay, go ahead in then."

"Thank you," Grace said as she turned to head towards Jack's room. She got to the room and entered quietly, careful not to startle Gibbs or wake Jack if she was still sleeping. She entered to find Gibbs laying in the bed with Jack laying in between his legs, fast asleep leaning into his embrace. Gibbs noticed Grace enter the room, but he looked at her with a slight tilt to his head and confusion on his face. He was not expecting her for another few hours.

"Clearly you didn't see my last text, Popeye," Grace whispered to him as she approached the side of the bed.

Gibbs gently slipped out of the bed as to not wake up Jack, "She's barely slept. Don't want to disturb her resting quite yet," he said to Grace. He looked at Jack and then back at Grace with a worried look in his face. She hadn't seen him like this in a very long time. She simply wrapped up in a hug and led him over to the couch in the room to sit down and talk while Jack continued to sleep.

"Thanks for coming, doc."

"I told you, Popeye, anytime either of you need anything, I will be here. Now, how are you doing? Lots of huge changes in the last couple days."

"She's really struggling doc. I don't know what is wrong. She needs help, and I don't know how to help her. She just isn't Jack right now."

"Gibbs, I asked how you were."

"That doesn't matter right now."

"I call total bull. That isn't your call to make right now. You both need support right now. We will get Jack the care she needs and get her back to normal, but in order to do that, she needs as much support as she can get. That requires everyone around her to be as normal and okay as possible. That includes you, Popeye. She needs you to be strong for her, and I want to make sure you are in the right place to do so."

"I'm doing fine. I was, at least, until I saw her like this. I don't know how to help her and that hurts me. That is all I care about right now, of course that, and our child. I expected that once she had the baby, everything would be perfect. That last part of the pregnancy was rough on her both physically and mentally, and I thought that it would all get better once she gave birth, that it would all be over, but"

"But, it didn't? It's all too common in tough pregnancies. We think that once the baby is out, everything magically fixes itself. What sucks, is the truth. She just went through hell and by doing so, she got the best reward, but chemically, her body doesn't know that. She just had the most dramatic shift of hormones any human can go through in 24 hours. We have no way of knowing who this type of behavior will happen to, but we do know how to help them now. All you need to do for her is be there and be you. That's enough," Grace said as she reached down to grab Gibbs' hand to help reassure him, "Now, let's go ahead and wake Jack. I want to meet that damn baby of yours and I want to talk with Jack personally. I want to see what we will be dealing with."

Gibbs got up and went to Jack's bedside. He knelt down and kissed the top of her head, as he usually did, and she woke up meeting his gaze with a gentle smile.

"Hey," she said quietly.

"Hey you, Grace is here. We've been catching up for a bit so you could rest, but she is getting a little impatient to talk to you and meet the baby."

Jack flipped over onto her other side to see Dr. Confalone sitting on the couch.

"Grace! Thanks for coming! It's so great to see you."

"I wouldn't miss this for the world, Jack! How are you doing?"

"Oh, don't pull that with me. I'm sure Gibbs caught you right up with what all has been going on."

"Nope, Popeye figured it would be best if you told me for yourself. It's not happening to him. I don't need you to tell me everything right now though; we can get to that all later. I just want to know how you are feeling RIGHT NOW."

"Could be better doc, could be worse."

"Makes sense. How about we do this all later though. I'm dying to meet baby Gibbs, and if I don't soon, I just might have to break into that nursery to meet him for myself, and I'm pretty sure the hospital frowns upon that."

"Of course! Babe, why don't you let the nurses know that we are ready."

"On it," Gibbs responded. He went out into the hall to wait for the nurses to bring Jackson up. Once they did, he poked his head into the room to let Jack and Grace know. "Doc, why don't you sit down on the couch and close your eyes," he let her make her way over to the couch and get settled before reentering the room. He made his way over to her with and then gently bent down to put Jackson in Grace's arms, "Alright Doc, open your eyes."

Grace opened her eyes and looked down at the baby in her arms, "Oh my God. I was fully convinced you were going to be a girl!" Grace said to the baby she was holding.

"We were too," Jack chimed in.

"I'm so happy for you guys," Grace said, turning to look at the new parents, "So, Popeye, did you ever think you would have a little legacy baby?"

"What do you mean, Doc?"

"I mean this little man will keep the Gibbs legacy going. You were an only child; this little boy will now keep the Gibbs name going on after you are gone."

"Never thought about that Doc," Gibbs responded.

"The legacy doesn't just live on with him being a Gibbs though, Grace. Wait til' you hear his full name," Jack said as she looked over at Gibbs with smile, "You tell her, babe."

"You sure?"

"Yes, tell her! I know she is dying to find out"

"Doc, this is Jackson Kelly Gibbs, named after…"

"Your father and your daughter," Grace interrupted.

"And his mother," Gibbs added.

"Of course, Jack's son. I couldn't have come up with a more perfect name myself."

They all stayed in the room catching up for a while. Grace was sure to continue to watch and observe Jack's behavior while she was there. She took note of the high emotional reactions and lower reactions. This would all help her in helping Jack heal. She decided it was probably time to go though so the family could get some more rest before their next visitors arrived.

"It was so great catching up and meeting sweet little Jackson. This time together was also very enlightening. Jack, I now you want all of the answers now and want a quick fix, but that just won't happen. What I can promise you though is that it will get better, and I will give you some suggestions now for moving forward. Surround yourself with your normal support. You have plenty of it, and none of us are going to let you down. There is hope for you, and we will all get you through this. If you have any dark moments, call me, night or day. I want to know what triggers those moments; I want to be there for you along with the rest of your family."

"Thank you, Grace."

A few hours later, the team arrived to the hospital so they could finally visit with the new little family. Gibbs had discussed with the nurses to ensure there wouldn't be any sudden interruptions during the visit to try and prevent the previous night's circumstances. Gibbs and Jack had also discussed how they wanted the visit to go. They had decided to follow Dr. Confalone's advice and be completely transparent with the team, to lean into their support.

The team arrived around 6pm following their long day of anticipation. It was nearly killing Bishop; the entire day all she could do was fidget with excitement, and the entire drive to the hospital she was tapping her fingers on the frame of the door of the car. All of this fidgeting was driving Nick and Tim absolutely nuts; they were of course exited as well, but they just had a better way of keeping it all in. When they got up to the maternity ward they were met by Gibbs standing at the nurses' station waiting for them. Bishop rushed him, nearly knocking over Gibbs as she enveloped him in a hug. Gibbs let out a grunt as she knocked the air out of him.

"Hey Bishop. Saw ya yesterday."

"I know; I just have missed you Gibbs, and I just can't contain how excited and happy I am right now."

"Trust us boss, she's not lying," Tim chimed.

Gibbs gave them his little side grin, "So, you guys ready?"

"Of course we are!" Bishop exclaimed. Nick and Tim just met Gibbs question with smiles at Bishop's giddiness and nods of their heads.

"Talked the nurses into letting you all in at once. So, come on in," Gibbs said as he opened the door into their room. The team shuffled in behind him and stood there in silence taking in the sight before their eyes.

"This has got to be a dream," Bishop said with awe in her voice. She still had one arm wrapped around Gibbs waist.

"Sure feels like it is," McGee added.

"Well, are you all just going to stand there and stare, or are you going to come over here and meet him?" Jack said with a chuckle.

"Ha! Pay up suckers!" Torres exclaimed.

"Nick!" McGee said, smacking Torres on the arm.

"What? It's a boy. I was right; you two losers need to pay up."

"You guys bet on our baby?" Jack asked.

"Um, yes," Tim answered for the whole team with a nervous tone.

Gibbs chuckled, "Huh, sounds about right," he said as he ripped the money out of the two agents hands that were handing over money to Torres.

The team all made their way over to the edge of Jack's bed where she was sitting up with the baby in her arms. They all took turns passing him around and doting over him. As with everyone else who had gotten the chance to meet the baby and find out his name, the team just went on and on about how perfect and fitting the name was for baby Jackson.

Jack took her time soaking in the moment. Things finally felt at least a little closer to normal, but she knew that this did not mean everything was magically better. She decided that it was time to tell the team about everything that was going on and what they were to expect in the coming days, weeks, and even months, "Guys, we do have one more thing that we need to do while you are all here. It is very important and serious. Gibbs and I knew we needed to do this now."

"Wait, you guys aren't leaving NCIS right? You aren't leaving us. I thought that was part of this whole thing; you promised you would both come back to work after your leave," Bishop said with worry in her voice.

"No, no, no. We aren't leaving NCIS, and we would never leave you guys. You are family, and that is in fact what this is all about. We are going to need you guys more than ever right now. Not everything is as perfect and smooth as we wished it would be with all of this. Jackson is fine; despite him being a little early, he is as healthy as can be. Me on the other hand, I'm not doing so perfect. Yesterday, we sent you guys away under false pretenses. I have been having severe bouts of postpartum anxiety and depression. Yesterday, when we were visiting with Ducky and Leon I had my worst episode yet. We don't know exactly what triggered this, but we are trying to face this head-on. Dr. Confalone visited earlier and told us the best way for us to beat this is to try and return to the most normalcy we can and to lean into any support we have. Thankfully, we do have plenty of support around us. You guys mean the world to us, and we can't and won't make it through all of this without each of you."

"We will be here no matter what Jack. Delilah went through a little bout of this after she had the twins, so I know at least a little of what you are facing. It is going to be tough, but like you said, you have all of us for unconditional support," McGee said, grabbing Jack's hand. Jack squeezed it tightly and met him with a small smile.

"Yeah Jack, I don't know much about any of this, but what I do know is that we are all here for you," Torres added.

"I agree. We are a family; we have all been through so much together, every up and down. We have never let each other fall, and we won't start now. Especially when we have little Jackson to think of when it comes to this. We've got you guys," Bishop said. She was sitting next to Gibbs holding Jackson in her arms. Gibbs pulled her into a hug and reached down with his other arm to rub Jackson's head. He couldn't express his gratefulness any other way than simply giving his team his caring look. Not many people could read his expression and emotions, but each person in the room could, and they all knew what he was saying with his look.

The team stuck around for around another hour. They then decided to head out to give Gibbs, Jack, and Jackson a little time to themselves. They all knew private time was hard to come by in the world they lived in, but they knew the importance of it to Gibbs and Jack both. On the way out of the hospital Bishop mentioned to Torres and McGee an idea about meeting up to grab a bite to eat so she could run some ideas by them on how they could help Jack and Gibbs moving forward.


End file.
